SUPPLIES
-We will be making our last run for M&R soilless mix this month. Our next delivery will probably be in Jan. 2019, so be sure to order what you will need to carry you through this year. (You’ll need some for top dressing).

The following supplies will be available at the July meeting to support your final potting on.
Pre-Orders from Speciality Soils
– M&R Mix $6.25 per 1 cu ft. bag -Call Ronnie by Tues, July 11th with your order.
– Pumice (coarse) $4.00 per 1 cu ft. -Call Ronnie by Tues with your order
– Farmyard Manure $ 2.25 per 1 cu ft. -Call Ronnie by Tues with your order

Other Club supplies available
– Mid Season Fertilizer, 20-9-20+ Use this two weeks after final potting to 9″ or 8″.
– Early Season fertilizer, 12-45-10
– Marathon 1% Systemic Insecticide (For control of black aphids)
-Twistems of various lengths
-Name tags-

Steve Joyner provided education of the 3 numbers listed on fertilizer packages and how they affect plant growth.
These numbers represent the percentage (by weight) of the three major nutrients required for healthy plant growth – nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (N-P-K). Each of these nutrients affects plant growth differently.

The first number is nitrogen. A bag of 24-8-4 has 24 percent total nitrogen. Nitrogen provides plants with the ability to produce more chlorophyll, which in turn allows plants to grow quickly. With each additional nitrogen application, plants will grow taller and develop a darker green color.

The second number is phosphorus. A bag of 24-8-4 would contain 8 percent phosphorus. Phosphorous aids in root development and increases flowering ability and bloom size. High-phosphorous fertilizer should be used when plants are being established.

The third number is potassium. A bag of 24-8-4 has 4 percent potassium. Potassium guards the plant against diseases and aids in drought protection and cold tolerance. It also serves a role in improving root development and helps in the process of photosynthesis.

How does this translate to the fertilizers we use?

Early season fertilizer 12-45-10 is high in phosphorus which promotes strong root development
Mid-season fertilizer 20-9-20+ promotes overall growth, disease protection, root development & color
Late season fertilizer 4-18-38 is high in potassium which promotes root and top growth and keeps plants healthy and balanced.

Discussed Stopping Dates – most plants are stopped April 15th through June 1st – refer to cultivar list on the website for specific cultivar stopping dates.

Steve Joyner demonstrated potting up from 6 inch to 9 inch pot.
Place a piece of broken pot in the bottom of the pot to keep the drain clear.
Place about 1-2 inches of dirt in the bottom of the pot.
Add Marathon systemic to control black aphids.
Place the 6” root ball on top of the dirt so that the top of the root ball is 1 to 2 inches below the rim of the pot.
Fill around the root ball and stake in place with a shingle or bamboo stake.

When potting take place after June 1st consider dropping down one pot size because the roots will not have enough time to fill the larger pots.

After 3 weeks in the final pot start a mid-summer feeding program (1 to 2 Teaspoons of 20-10-20 fertilizer per gallon of water. Watch leaves to gauge fertilizing. If leaves become hard or curled then you are overfeeding. If leaves are weak and lighter green then more fertilizer would help. If leaves are yellow try drying them out. If drying the plant doesn’t help try feeding ½ teaspoon Epsom salts per plant or leaf feed liquid iron. Do not over feed liquid iron.

Review pest management program every 2 weeks. Spray with a fungicide every 2 weeks- Ortho Funginex or Daconil are recommended.

At this early stage you should carry 1-2 more lateral than you want at the bloom stage.

Surplus laterals are removed later in the summer using the following guide.
For #1 & #2 cultivars, carry 2 or 3 laterals initially, cull to 1 or 2 in Aug.
For #3 cultivars, carry 5 laterals and cull Sept. or Oct.
For #4 & b#5 cultivars, carry 4 to 5 laterals and cull to 2 to 3 in Sept.
For Earlies (13-15 and 23-25) carry 4-5 laterals and cull to 2-3 in Sept.
For Spiders, Quills, Spoons, Singles etc. follow the guide for #4 and #5.

Cutting back to the few laterals seems to be a most difficult task for the novice. You must do it however if you wish to get large blooms.

Staking discussion:

During final potting stage a stake should be placed along the main plant stem and tied to it to support and protect the plant. As the side laterals develop it will be necessary to add longer stakes that can support each lateral all the way to bud development. Do not spread the new laterals too far apart when staking, as one or more could be broken off. In other words let the laterals grow till they can be easily tied to the new stakes.

Business meeting:
May meeting minutes were approved by Steve Joyner and Mark Ross
Treasurers report:
Total Savings & Checking (as of 6/13/18)
$6,342.11
Cash on Hand (as of 6/13/18)
$172.24

Fall Show dates changed:
A motion to change the show dates was proposed and approved. (The national show is the last weekend in October):
Plant deliveries to back greenhouse, Wednesday Oct. 31, Thursday Nov. 1 between 10am and 3pm
Show set up/prep Thursday Nov. 1 from 4pm to 6pm (or later as needed)
Judging Friday Nov. 2 from 9am to 12pm. Open to Public at 12pm (open house that evening?)
Show Open Saturday 3 and Sun 4 10am to 4pm
Show take down Sunday Nov. 4 from 4 – 6pm

Banquet date and location:
Due to the show date changes a motion was proposed and approved to change the Banquet date. Additionally, based upon information provided by Steve Backstrom the banquet location was selected.

Multiple bloom vases for show for late decorative entries, early English, vases of 3
A discussion ensued about purchasing glass vases for multiple bloom show entries.
Criteria:
5inch rim
Quantity: 3 to 4 dozen vases
Sue to investigate and provide a recommendation of vase and price at next meeting

Meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm

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